Press conference to kick off Sea Level Rise Awareness Week Sept. 10

To explore what communities and organizations have done

Sep 04, 2014

Delaware Nature Society has partnered with 18 other organizations on a campaign called S.O.S Delaware to raise public awareness about sea level rise and its impact on Delaware. The state's second annual Sea Level Rise Awareness Week will run September 13-20. A press conference announcing the effort will be held Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 1:30 p.m., at the DuPont Nature Center, 2992 Lighthouse Road, Milford.

Speakers at the press conference include: DNREC Secretary David Small, Councilperson Kathy Lock of Slaughter Beach, Lisa Wool of the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Jen Volk of UD Cooperative Extension, and Chris Bason of the Delaware Center for Inland Bays.

The theme of this year’s Sea Level Rise Awareness Week is adapting to sea level rise through green and natural solutions. This press event will highlight how local communities and environmental organizations have been implementing projects to improve Delaware’s resiliency to a rising sea level.

At last year’s Sea Level Rise Awareness Week press conference, Gov. Jack Markell signed Executive Order 41 to help Delaware reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare for climate impacts. In September 2013, Delaware’s Sea Level Rise Awareness Committee and the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control developed 55 recommendations for improving Delaware’s preparedness for a rising sea level.

This year’s Sea Level Rise Awareness Week will explore what communities and environmental organizations have done to address some of those recommendations and encourage Delawareans to take action to adapt to a changing climate.

With the lowest average land elevation in the U.S. at only 60 feet above sea level, and 381 miles of shoreline, coastal communities in Delaware are already experiencing the impacts of sea level rise. In response, a campaign to raise public awareness about sea level rise and its impact on Delaware is being sponsored by 19 organizations.

A calendar of events, a variety of resources, and links to all of the organizations sponsoring Delaware Sea Level Rise Awareness Week can be found at www.SOSDelaware.org.